Heatherpaw groggily sat up in her nest, blinking open her eyes to see the white fur of her mentor. The medicine cat, Whitecloud, was still softly snoring, her tiny flank rising and falling as she breathed in and out, in and out. Heatherpaw gazed around their den, noting that she didn't need to organize the well-kept herb piles, but add to their small piles. Under her breath, she meowed, "I guess it would please Whitecloud if I went out and got herbs for her..."
Heatherpaw was constantly trying to please the ungrateful mentor who never seemed proud of her young apprentice. Whitecloud was young herself, so surely she would understand it's hard identifying all the different herbs and cures? Apparently not.
Heatherpaw gave her golden tabby fur a quick lick to flatten it from the messed it was when she woke up. Heatherpaw was a cat who would constantly toss and turn during the night. It was surprising that Whitecloud didn't wake up with all the kicking Heatherpaw did.
She stood up, stretched, and carefully padded out the den so that she wouldn't wake the slumbering white ball of grumpy fur. Once she successfully pulled her body through the fern fronds, she quickened her pace towards the camp entrance. Not many cats were awake, only Sandfang with his apprentice, Goldenpaw, who were guarding the camp entrance.
Goldenpaw, Heatherpaw's sister, turned her head. Her face changed from blank to full of delight, "Heatherpaw! Where are you going?" Sandfang turned around, too, and a faint smile was on his face as well.
"Going to find herbs for Whitecloud. See you later," Heatherpaw purred.
Goldenpaw tilted her head, as if in thought, before mewing, "Hey, I could come with you... Like a guard, or something." Her head swiftly turned towards her mentor as she meowed the rest, "Couldn't I?"
Sandfang was about to answer when Heatherpaw shook her head quickly, cutting him off, "No, no, you don't have to." Her tail swished against the sandy ground, throwing the sand around in a tiny storm.
"No, I insist, if Sandfang allows it." Goldenpaw mewed, her gaze still on her mentor. When he shrugged and nodded, she yelped, "Let's go!" She shot through the camp entrance, only to come back through when she realized Heatherpaw didn't follow immediately.
Heatherpaw sighed to herself. She had wanted to go alone for once and view the forest with silence. Goldenpaw never wanted Heatherpaw to get hurt, so Goldenpaw would always come with her into the forest with her when she could. Goldenpaw was indeed strong, and Heatherpaw loved the gesture, but it seemed her sister was too over protective.
Goldenpaw gestured with her tail to Heatherpaw to let her know to follow. Heatherpaw gently padded forward and walked side to side with Goldenpaw as they left the camp.
"So, how's training going? I wasn't too sure you could remember all the different herbs, if I'm honest," Goldenpaw murmured as she took long strides forward. Heatherpaw was very small compared to her sister, so she had to quicken her step to catch up.
"Uh, it is pretty tough memorizing it all, but I can handle," Heatherpaw mewed, knowing she was lying slightly. She was struggling, but then again they'd been apprentices for only a moon and some days. "How's your fighting skills coming along?" She meowed after stumbling and tripping over a root. She flattened her ears in embarrassment.
Goldenpaw laughed softly at how Heatherpaw tripped before replying, "Sandfang says I'm fine at fighting, I just need work on my hunting skills," Sandfang was right, Goldenpaw was great at fighting, but lacking in her hunting skills. Whitecloud sometimes allowed Heatherpaw watch her sister train, and Goldenpaw had always beaten the other apprentices during their practice battles. But when they got to hunting, she could barely catch a slow, fat mouse. It was like she was just cut out to knock out cats and not simply bite a piece of prey's small neck.
The two-some continued along in silence. Heatherpaw was secretly glad her sister had stopped talking, she could listen to the chirping of birds and the chittering noise from squirrels. She almost felt bad that she would eat one of the two later when she returned from camp, but she knew StarClan had made it so that cats could get their diets from those prey animals.
For some reason, the silence bothered Heatherpaw after a while. "Whitecloud's teaching me the basics in fighting and hunting, so I could protect myself if needed. That's why you don't have to be here..." Heatherpaw meowed slowly, breaking the silence, as they neared the spot where marigold grew. The orange and yellow flowers sprouted out of the grassy ground just a few tail lengths away. They swayed in the gentle morning breeze.
"Yeah, I do, you only learned the basics..." Goldenpaw meowed, disappointed. She looked back at her sister with eyes that made Heatherpaw guilty for saying what she did.
"Well, I don't need your help, okay?" Heatherpaw mewed, quickening her pace even further. She didn't want to be rude to her kind and loyal sister, but she needed to lay down the cold, hard facts.
"Why can't you be grateful and not a grump like Whitecloud!" Goldenpaw spat the insult, clearly getting irritated with Heatherpaw. Goldenpaw used comparing her to Whitecloud as an insult all the time because Heatherpaw would complain about her mentor, but at that moment it was more than just teasing. Heatherpaw growled back at Goldenpaw.
Goldenpaw always had a smile on her face, but she sure didn't then. Her face was scrunched up as she glared at her sister. Only then did Heatherpaw realize Goldenpaw could have quite a temper herself.
"I don't need your awful fighting protections stuff, or whatever, just go away!" Heatherpaw growled back, but looked down at her paws and quickly slowed down so that she didn't trample the marigold flowers. The flowers peacefully swayed back and forth, as if thanking her for watching where she set her paws.
Goldenpaw hissed, dashing away, "Fine!" Heatherpaw's sister was quickly engulfed by the bushes and trees of their territory.
Heatherpaw could say one thing; she felt guilty. Despite that, she didn't turn around and chase after her infuriated sister. She lowered her head and nipped at the soft marigold stems, instead.
After detaching the flower from the earth, she set it aside in a pile. As the pile accumulated, the sun climbed higher and higher into the morning sky. The sight was calming, and Heatherpaw quickly forgot all about her and her sister's argument. Only when she heard a yowl that was covered in fear did she snap back to reality.
"Heatherpaw!" Heatherpaw recognized the voice as Goldenpaw. What was wrong with her? Heatherpaw wondered before dashing towards where the noise had came from. Her small paws could only go so fast, so she heard more yelps before arriving. "Heatherpaw! Heatherpaw, help!"
Before even coming to the clearing where Goldenpaw was in danger, Heatherpaw could smell the rank scent of fox and the tangy scent of blood. "G-Goldenpaw...?" Heatherpaw stuttered as the fox and bloodied Goldenpaw came into sight.
The fox slung Goldenpaw around, gripping her neck tight and shaking her viciously. Scarlet drops of liquid flew in all directions. Goldenpaw saw Heatherpaw, fear clear in her eyes. "H-help me.." she spluttered out before going limp.
"No!" Heatherpaw yowled out, running at the fox with unsheathed claws. Although Goldenpaw was clearly in StarClan, the fox kept playing with her as if she was a toy. Fury burned through Heatherpaw as she got closer to Goldenpaw's mangled body. The most ferocious fighter... dead?
Heatherpaw leaped out the red creature, grasping onto its back with sharp claws. "No..." she meowed again, clamping her teeth into the fox's fur. The fox dropped Goldenpaw, attempting to nip at the she-cat on its back. Goldenpaw landed in the most awkward position, her legs bending in ways they shouldn't have. Heatherpaw looked away quickly, as she felt nauseous just looking at her sister.
"I'm so sorry, Goldenpaw... You were mad and careless because of me."
/-/
Sandfang had heard the yowling and had arrived shortly after Heatherpaw leapt at the reddish creature with black stockings. Sandfang drove the fox away, then helped Heatherpaw carry her sister.
Now, the cats of ThunderClan had gathered around Goldenpaw's now clean body. Whitecloud had gotten her cleaned up with various herbs before setting her in the middle of the camp.
Heatherpaw nuzzled her sister, whispering under her breath, "I'm so sorry, it was all my fault." That was all she could think that night as she mourned for her sister.
It's all my fault, my fault, my fault. Please forgive me. Or, at least tell me you're fine in StarClan. I miss you so much... please, please forgive me... Heatherpaw thought guiltily, the fox shaking her sister kept playing in her mind.